1. Field of the Invention
The present field relates to electrostimulation for the promotion of joint health.
2. Description of Related Art
As discussed here, orthotic devices (orthoses) include any brace, splint, support, or other joint stabilizing means applied to any part of the body to protect, support, or treat biomechanical conditions. Orthotic devices generally include a biomechanical support element that forms the basis of the skeletal or soft tissue support that is required for the majority of these devices.
Orthotic devices must engage effectively with soft tissue in order to provide the desired support. In many parts of the body the soft tissue will move, for example by expanding or contracting as result of muscle or joint movement. For example, the objective of a rigid knee brace is to exert a force on the tibia with respect to the femur in the user's body mass above the knee. By definition, knee braces are applied to soft tissue lying between the brace and the user's skeleton. The rigid element may include some form of liner that contacts the body of the user. The liner may have an outer fabric that is designed to contact the user's skin directly or, alternatively, to engage with clothing that a user may be wearing about the part of the anatomy to which the orthotic device is to be attached. Soft tissue is mobile and in the case of the leg, moves in a cycle corresponding to a user's gait, whether it be through running, walking or other physical movement common to the human knee. The most mobile soft tissue is the quadriceps mechanism lying in front of the femur in the anterior thigh region. The central reference point for a knee brace is the knee joint line. In construction, an orthotic device such as a knee brace would use a joint mechanism, which mimics the movement of the joint to be supported, such as the knee, which is not just a simple hinge. Since each user's body shape is unique, the interface between the orthotic device and the user's leg cannot be predetermined in the manufacture of such a device. This technology can be applied to any brace or support on the body. The knee brace is simply used as an example.
Degenerative joint disease, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, repetitive motion, carpal tunnel, tendinitis, and other joint diseases or injuries may be treated through various methods of electrical stimulation. Surface electrical stimulation (SES) treats these conditions using sub-sensory electrical pulses. Other methods of electrostimulation include Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), Transcutaneous Electrical Stimulation for Arthritis (TESA), Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES), Interferential Stimulation (IF), High Volt Galvanic Stimulation, High Volt Pulsed Current (HVPC), Electromagnetic and Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Stimulation, and Micro Current Electrical Stimulation.
When the active user wears an orthotic device with an electrical stimulation assembly attached, there are several potential issues to be solved or minimized. One of these issues is durability, especially in the harsh environment between the device and the user's anatomy. The active user will move, walk, run, jump, and sweat. The assembly's design must be robust to survive this activity. With regards to bodily fluids such as sweat, the electrode assembly attached to the user's anatomy must stay in place, and continue to function well. Current electrodes are very sticky, with no way to ventilate sweat through the assembly.
Electrodes must also peel easily from the anatomy (not accidentally from the electrode carrier) when the orthotic device is removed. When the electrode is ready to be replaced, it must peel relatively easily from its electrode carrier, while not delaminating under normal use. It can be seen that there must be a careful, functional balance in designing the various adhesion layers. With regards to activity levels, current designs include a long wire leading from the signal generator to the electrode worn by the user. This wire can tangle, snag, pull out, and ultimately break electrical connection with the signal generator. The need exists to improve this assembly to a more robust design.
Sufferers of osteoarthritis of the knee or rheumatoid arthritis of the hand are in need of enhanced nondrug, non-invasive treatment.